1018 Thomasville Road
Suite 200-C
Tallahassee, FL 32303
Phone: (850) 224-8207
Fax: (850) 681-9364
Florida Resources and
Environmental Analysis Center
at the Institute of Science
and Public Affairs
A Network Connecting Science with Conservation
Schaus' Swallowtail (Papilio aristodemus ponceanus)
Family: Papilionidae
FNAI State Rank: S1
Range: Miami-Dade County and the Florida Keys
Seasonal Occurrence: Possible all year but with a peak in April - May and August - September
Habitat: tropical hammocks
Host Plants: citrus
The Schaus' Swallowtail is federally listed as an endangered species. Causes of its decline include loss of tropical hammock habitat and pesticides used in some mosquito control programs. There is a captive breeding program for the Schaus' to reintroduce this butterfly back into Deering Estate in the Miami-Dade area as well as onto additional Florida Keys.
Information on seasonal occurrence and host plant in Florida is extracted from Glassberg et al. (2000) Butterflies through Binoculars: Florida, Oxford University Press, and Cech et al. (2005) Butterflies of the East Coast: An Observer's Guide, Princeton University Press.